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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bound — certain
  5. game — a match
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com